Digging post holes in frozen Highland Park clay is very difficult. It is like trying to break through concrete with a plastic spoon. Up here in St. Paul, our weather dictates pretty much every outdoor project we take on, and deck railings are no exception. Between the heavy snow loads and those brutal freeze-thaw cycles that heave the ground every spring, you cannot just slap a railing together whenever you feel like it and hope for the best.
Timing is very important for Deck Railing Installation in St Paul, MN. When homeowners are planning a Deck Railing Installation, they want to aim for late spring through early fall. The soil needs to be completely thawed so our team can anchor posts securely, whether we are bolting into a solid framing rim or pouring concrete piers. Fall can also work, but once October hits and the overnight lows start dipping below freezing, concrete stops curing right and sealants will not bond properly. Nobody wants a wobbly railing when the snow piles up and someone leans against it heading out to shovel.
Materials matter a ton around here, too. We deal with extremes. Summer humidity that swells wood and sub-zero winter blasts that shrink it right back down. If you go with traditional wood, you are signing up for annual maintenance. Cedar and pressure-treated pine look great at first, but without regular staining, our Minnesota moisture will rot them out from the inside out within a few years. That is why a lot of homeowners around Summit Avenue and Crocus Hill are switching over to aluminum or composite railing systems. They do not warp, they do not splinter, and they actually stand up to the heavy ice buildup we get hanging off the rooflines.
When St Paul Deck Solutions is out building, our team always looks closely at how the posts tie into the deck structural framing. That is where most DIY jobs fail. If you just screw railing posts down through the surface decking boards, you have got a safety hazard waiting to happen. Those posts need blocking underneath and heavy-duty through-bolts that tie right into the structural joists. Wind off the Mississippi River can catch a glass panel or a wide rail surprisingly hard, and if it is not anchored right to the bones of the deck, it is coming loose.
Protecting your investment year-round does not take a miracle, just a little common sense. Take a walk around your deck twice a year, once when we finally thaw out in May, and once before you put away the patio furniture in October. Check the hardware. Tighten any bolts that might have rattled loose from the seasonal expansion and contraction. Clear heavy snow away from the base of the posts so ice does not pool around the brackets and trap moisture against the metal or wood.
If you have been putting off a Deck Railing upgrade or need help fixing a shaky setup before winter sets in for good, call St Paul Deck Solutions. Getting Deck Railing Installation done right means you will not have to worry about it while you are trapped inside waiting for spring.